Happy Easter!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!
xoxo Jenny & Aaron

Doughnuts!!

For years we've been dying to paint doughnuts but for one reason or another the project kept falling to the wayside. We've got countless sketches, doodles, mock ups on napkins...but something else always came along and stole us away from our doughnut painting.
Well yesterday we vowed to finally do it. After hours of poring over doughnut pics on Flickr and Pinterest the inspiration was well ingrained in our souls. It's actually a lil bit disturbing when you look back and realize that you've been searching for and staring at doughnut photos for more then half the day...just to get in the mood.


We wanted to represent doughnuts in a finer way...with a hand painted backdrop of vintage wallpaper and some fab lil striped flags. We also made a die cut version which you can see if you scroll down...and below that are some new tiered cake die cuts and our pink stand mixer. Everything is in our shop now.



But back to doughnuts...I guess my obsession was rekindled around the holidays when I saw a doughnut maker on the shelf in Target...(right next to a cupcake maker. But the doughnut maker was Homer Simpson yellow and would totally clash with my kitchen aesthetic.) I spotted a white version at Urban Outfitters...but are all doughnut makers created equal? I'd hate to buy something simply based on color. Well that last sentence was a white lie because I'll buy a single old beat up rollerskate if it's the right shade of aqua...but you know what I mean.
When the weather gets a little nicer me and Aaron will start going back into NYC more often...and this time not for cupcakes...but for DOUGHNUTS! Doughnut Plant is the bestiest, and they even opened a new location inside the Chelsea Hotel which is in a great part of town that is quick and east to get to. Also dying to check out this doughnut place simply named Dough.
The independent places are where it's at but if you're gonna go for name brand...I don't think there's anything better than Krispy Kreme. We had a location sorta near us a few years back and we'd walk in the door and just see the conveyor belt full of hot doughnuts...and then they pass through a "wall of glaze" and emerged enrobed in translucent sugary heaven...and while you're waiting to place your order one of the doughnut making gals behind the counter hand you a free and fresh off the line hot glazed doughnut...I guess in case you start having second thoughts...they wanna get ya hooked.
Anyway, can you tell it's a rainy day here in Jersey? I think on weather maps, instead of rain clouds there should be graphics of carbs...because who in their right might doesn't want to binge on carbs when it's raining?
Ok, oink oink...I love doughnuts. But seriously...it's a visual thing...I'm an artiste...right?!
On that note...til next time...be back soon! xoxo Jenny

Let's turn that frown upside down with some Springtime sweetness!

Well, some of you may have heard already but just in case you didn't...Silver Bella 2011 has been canceled. We were so looking forward to revisiting Omaha and all the amazing people who make Silver Bella such a wonderful artistic event year after year. But due to very low initial registration Teresa had to decide quickly whether or not it would be in everyone's best interest to keep the event on the calender for this year. We were so excited for it and we're really gonna miss seeing everyone...but things like this happen sometimes and you just have to stand back up and focus on the other great things on the horizon.

Me and Aar will be teaching at Art Is... in October and we already have goosebumps for that. We've also got a couple other teaching engagements coming soon including The Creative Connection!!! ( more on that very soon!) so we hope maybe some of the peeps who already registered for our Silver Bella classes can hop over to another event and get creative with us this year! Me and Aar both wish Teresa McFayden, the gal behind Silver Bella, best of luck in this...as in sports...lets call it a re-building year. Silver Bella had been so successful and fun in the past...I'm sure it will return...as glittery as ever!

Now, I just wanted to let you guys know that we've got some fab new Spring/Easter stuff listed in our shop and we've also got tons of new new new stuff in the works! It seems like everything is at the same level of completion (or in-completion) so we expect to launch a whole bunch of new art either all at once or like a line of dominoes as the days progress. This is always a very very creative time of year for us but we got a little delayed after a super duper lingering flu from our LA excursion...it just knocked us out and took wind from our sails. But we think we're that much stronger for it...Aar really suffered the worst from it and he's probably gonna dig in the garage for his Nietzsche books for some philosophical inspiration. Me, I'm more simple...play me some Bon Iver and show me some paper mache rabbits!

Ok, just a short and (bitter) sweet post. I'll be back soon! xoxo, Jenny

Silver Bella 11'!!

Hey Kids! (ahh I just like saying that)

Since we returned from Cali, things have been pretty busy for us. We have so many things going on at once. We are working on some fantastic kits, and inspiration boxes which I am reeeally excited about! If you have worked with our kits in the past you know that all imagery is hand painted by us and created specifically for each kit. We absolutely adore the process. Coming up with a theme, sketching and painting elements and patterns, gathering embellishments etc. We painted a vintage wallpaper inspired paper for Amy Inspire Co.'s last issue of Inspired Ideas. We really loved doing that! And the feedback we received was super sweet! (If you printed it, and used it in a fab creation we'd LOVE to see it!!) We are hoping to offer kits every other month, full of painted patterns and imagery. And don't forget our fabulous design team!! They will certainly dazzle us with their talents. So yep, stay tuned for all that good stuff.






We are also very excited to announce that we will be teaching at Silver Bella 11' ! We taught back in 07' and had an incredible time. We met so many of our best online friends that year. Downtown Omaha was really nice too. We are really looking forward to returning! We will be teaching the above classes. "Creative Mise En Place" which you may remember from Art Is..You last October. We had such an amazing time and really would love to teach it again and again! We love the idea of each student walking out with a totally unique creation. We've already gotten emails from gals signing up for it, saying that it is out of their comfort zone, and they couldn't be more excited about that! Isn't that what these workshops are about? Trying something new, boosting, and enhancing your creative self? Right on! Let's play with some paint!

We are also teaching "Beaux Gateaux". It is so so "us". A Paris Patisserie menu board, and a little bit of "showtime!" If you know what I mean. (whenever I describe something as being stage-like, or having curtains, I just say you know..."showtime-y". This class is project driven. What you see is what you get! You will walk out with your very own Patisserie sign to display in your kitchen or studio...or little gal's room! It's super duper cute in person! Anything with sweets and scroll work is so up my alley! Registration is indeed open, so pop on over, and pick some classes! We would LOVE to have you!! :)






Ok, so when we got back from Cali we all had that awful bug. "All" meaning me, Aaron, and my sis. After a few days of being shut ins, Missy and I decided regardless of our coughing aka "death rattles" we needed air! So we took a quick drive to Pt. Pleasant. A fave shore town of ours. Lots of antique shops, home decor, coffee shops, etc. You may remember Jenn Hayslip visiting the shore and meeting us for dinner (summer 09'). Well that was Pt. Pleasant! The perfect family getaway! The boardwalk is super fun too. We've watched the 4th of July fireworks from the beach there many times. Anyways...We popped in to a brand new, and ohhhh so cute shop called Tess Home! The cool chick that runs the shop is named Pam, but I only refer to her as "Not Tess". You know I must ask her who the real Tess is.
So as you can see from these pics it is seriously an adorable shop! Lots and lots of color! Kitschy cool furniture and collections, and even some art supplies thrown in! If you are in the area, it is a "must visit". We have some things in the works with Pam. Give me a week or so and then I'll let you guys in on the fun news. It's all pretty exciting! Way to have you guessing huh? ;)

Well, I thought I'd pop in and say hi! Totally ready for Spring. Ready to open these windows, play some Billie Holiday, and create!

See ya soon!
xo Jenny